Until
by The Fire Rain Alchemist
Summary: Azami and her twin sister, Kagome, lived an average life until their fifteenth birthday, the day they were pulled through a well into feudal Japan. 'You don't know what you have until it's gone.' A broken jewel, an awakened hanyou, and Kagome must return to the present. Azami must remain and pick up the pieces. Can she survive without her twin? Or will she adapt? Inuyasha/OC
1. Better Than A Rabbit Hole Pun

**A/N: There are many people who like Kagome. There are many people who don't. So, this is more or less a 'what if Kagome wasn't the 'one'?' Mostly I'll follow the series with my OC (obviously adding things or it'd be boring), but Kagome isn't completely left out of this, because I myself have no issues with her. …**_**except**_** when she starts saying 'Inuyasha'. And a couple other things… *sigh* **

**So take this for what it's worth. Also, Kagome's mother has no name. Trust me, I've looked! So I'm just gonna call her 'Mrs. Higurashi' when I'm not calling her 'Mama'. Yes, I am too lazy to give her a name. Please REVIEW!**

* * *

**Chapter One; Better Than A Rabbit Hole Pun**

Mrs. Higurashi could hardly believe it. She was a mother. She looked down at the two twin girls in her arms. One had her eyes squeezed tight, the one she had named Kagome. The other stared straight up at her with a question in her eyes. She was named Azami. There was nothing quite like the feeling of a child looking at her like she was the most important thing in the world. Everything seemed perfect.

But she didn't know the destiny awaiting them. She was unaware of the battle of souls that had taken place before their birth. Inside Kagome rested a jewel, one of both good and evil, while in Azami resided the soul of the miko who had once guarded it.

But she had a good fifteen years before she needed to worry about that.

* * *

(-Azami-)

"Kagome, stop interrupting Gramps!"

"But it's such a boring story…"

I sighed, defeated. Kagome was more stubborn than a mule and I didn't fancy getting into an argument with her. I'd have to ask Gramps to finish the Shikon no Tama story later. I twirled the pink keychain in my fingers as my twin began to bother him for our birthday presents. She gleefully opened the box, only to find a supposed mummified kappa's foot.

What did she expect from Gramps anyway?

Gramps handed me a small box. "This one's yours, Azami."

"Thanks." I opened it up. It was small, red, pointy… thing. On a string. "What is this?"

"That's the stinger of a Saimyosho, m'girl!"

I tied it onto my neck. The red bit landed on my collarbone. "Oh, that's cool!"

"Yup, you get a poisonous stinger and I get a severed foot." We laughed. My Gramps really was the best. He always had a story to tell. While bothered most people, I loved it.

Though Kagome and I were twins, there were some things we just didn't agree on. She was an optimist, I was an optimistic pessimist. I was _positive_ everything would go _wrong_. I was the worrier. She went on instinct. She wasn't afraid to be herself, whereas I was a bit more wary of people.

Physically we were almost identical. My hair was straighter and longer than hers, though I always had it up in a high ponytail. Her eyes were a dark chocolate brown. Mine were dark blue with flecks of green. And, in my opinion, she was prettier than me, even though she tries to tell me otherwise.

To say it simply, we're both protective of one another. We balance each other out. We hang out with the same group of friends. We know when to give each other space, of course. And since I'm speaking of siblings, I should mention Souta, too. He's pretty mature for someone his age, dodging quite a few youngest child stereotypes.

These are things I took for granted. You know that saying, 'you don't know what you have until it's gone'? That's my life in a nutshell. But then, there's an opposite. You don't know what you're missing until you've found it.

* * *

The next morning began the same as any other. The basic hygiene necessities were taken care of first. I changed into my school uniform, trying to ignore its stupidly short skirt before meeting the family for breakfast. Souta left as Kagome and I collected our school things. I paused on my drawing pad. I knew that if I brought it I would be distracted, which could lower my grade…

I shoved it in my bag along with a few pencils anyway.

"We're leaving, Mama!" Kagome announced. As we left the building, I spotted Souta in the well house. _What's he doing in there? He knows it's off limits!_ I turned to point him out to Kagome, but she was already walking toward him. I sighed, following suit.

"I'm not playing! I'm looking for Buyo."

"Why would he want to go down there?" I wondered.

"Dunno. But I don't know where else he could be."

Kagome huffed. "Then go down and look for him."

"…But it's dark." He said quietly. I was about to volunteer when Kagome stood and walked down the steps. A faint scratching came from the direction of the well. A cold feeling crept across my skin. Something wasn't right.

Suddenly, Kagome screamed. Souta and I yelped. She relaxed, bent down, and stood back up with Buyo in her arms. I released a breath.

"Don't scare us!" I scolded, walking down and taking the fat cat from her. My eyes darted to the well as the scratching not only continued, but got louder. I had thought it was the cat, but-

_CRACK!_

The top of the well flew off, sending splinters everywhere. Six pale arms reached out, wrapping themselves around Kagome's neck and waist. She screamed. On instinct, I grabbed her outstretched hands. But the creature continued to pull, and we both went down into the well.

* * *

**First chapter is done! I don't want this to be a complete copy of the whole series, so I'm trying to change things enough so it won't be boring. Please review!**


	2. A Wake Up Call

**Here's the second chapter! Stuff's gonna happen!**

* * *

**Chapter Two; A Wake Up Call**

(-Azami-)

Being inside the well was almost like being underwater. The blue pressed in from all sides, caressing my skin as I moved through it. Little bubbles were left in my wake. Yet somehow I was breathing. More importantly, I was being dragged by a giant… thing.

The creature's upper half seemed human enough. It was a she, for one, made blatantly obvious by her lack of a shirt. Her black hair billowed out around her, framing her pretty face. The other end was far more frightening. As I watched it, the rib-like bones were covered in bug skin. Gramps had mentioned something like this in one of his stories… An oumukade?

"Oh, gross!" My analysis was interrupted by Kagome's whine. The oumukade had licked her cheek.

"You have it! Give it to me!" The creature's voice was raspy and low. My hand tightened on my sister's arm. I kicked out at the oumukade's belly while Kagome thrashed with her free hand. My foot hit the purple armored skin, sending a jolt up my leg. Kagome was more successful. Her hand glowed in a pale purple light.

The creature shrieked, letting go. A pale skinned arm still gripped Kagome's. Suddenly the environment changed, the blue turning purple before fading away completely. I felt solid ground beneath me and looked around.

"We're back in the well." I breathed. I turned to meet Kagome's eyes. They were wide in disbelief.

"Did you see that?"

"If you mean bug lady, yes."

"…Double hallucination?"

"Doubtful." I said pointing to the severed arm to her left.

She squeaked, scooting away. She sucked in a deep breath, composing herself. "Up?"

"Yup."

We began climbing up the side of the well. I twisted my hand around a vine. _How would a vine grow in here?_ I looked up. A clear blue sky met my eyes. I remained silent, choosing to continue upward. There had to be a good explanation for why I could see the sky indoors…

I pulled myself over the edge of the well a split second before Kagome. I had my explanation. We weren't indoors. The well was in a large clearing dotted with small white flowers. A pale butterfly fluttered in the corner of my vision.

Kagome gaped at the scenery. "Um, Toto, I don't think we're in Tokyo anymore…"

"Why do you get to be Dorothy?"

"Do you want to be Dorothy?"

"No. That dog is way cool." I smiled. The banter was good enough to keep our spirits lifted. We climbed the rest of the way out. We wandered around aimlessly, looking for any clue as to where we were. We clung to each other's hands. Kagome's familiar presence was enough to keep me from panicking. And vice versa.

Kagome yanked my arm. "Azami, it's the tree!"

"What?"

"It's the sacred tree!" I followed her finger, spotting the massive plant. I didn't object to being pulled along after her as she ran straight to it. I pushed through a few bushes that got in my way. As I broke through the final bush, I was shocked to see the tree.

Well, not really the tree itself. I was shocked to see what was _attached_ to the tree. It was a boy. A boy who couldn't have been much older than Kagome and I. He wore a billowy red outfit and no shoes. His hair was a silver-white color, reaching all the way to his waist. Vines wrapped around his body. But the thing that caught my attention was the arrow protruding from his chest.

I felt drawn to this boy. Somehow I… I almost felt like I recognized him. I knew that I had never seen him in my life, but still. I climbed up the roots to stand next to him. That was when I noticed the two delicate dog ears placed on his head. I looked for a pair of human ears, but to no avail. Those really were his ears.

"Azami, what are you doing?!" Kagome whispered loudly. What, did she think she would wake him up? There was an arrow in his chest; he wasn't doing anything anytime soon. My eyes darted back to his ears. For some reason, I really wanted to touch them…

"Check out his ears."

Kagome climbed up next to me. "Wow, they look really fuzzy." She looked between me and the ears. "I wanna touch 'em."

"…You really shouldn't…"

"You want to, too, don't you?" She smiled knowingly at me.

"'Course not."

"You take one, I take the other?"

I agreed instantly. And don't judge, you all know you would, too. Just as my fingertips reached the boy's ear, someone shouted from behind. Arrows lodged themselves in the bark around us. We both screamed. Multiple men in old clothing circled around us. They were armed.

Before either of us could process what had happened, Kagome and I were tied up and taken to a small village. Kagome was speaking irritably, giving them an earful on how pointless it was to tie us up. I spent my time taking in my surroundings. It was quite obviously a poor village. The huts' roofs sagged and the walls were worn from dirt and rain. The villagers, men and women alike, whispered among themselves. It seemed to be a debate on whether we were demons or invaders from another village. 'Neither' never seemed to cross their minds.

Then the crowd parted, revealing an old woman in traditional miko clothing. She made her way up to us, using a bow as a walking stick. A black patch covered her right eye and her gray-brown hair was tied back. I opened my mouth to speak, only to be rewarded with salt in my mouth.

"Begone, demons!" The woman's voice was cracked with age. I spit the salt from my mouth.

"We aren't demons!" Kagome protested.

"Then why were ye found in the Forest of Inuyasha?" She looked at each of us in turn. Her eyes widened. She moved closer, studying each of our faces.

"What is it?" One of the villagers asked.

"I am not sure. The resemblance is there, though I know not why. And how there are two…"

* * *

"Um, thanks." I mumbled, taking a bowl of stew. It turned out the woman's name was Kaede, and she was the head priestess of the village. She had taken us to her hut after the little misunderstanding earlier.

"Please, bear us no ill will. Strangers are difficult to trust in times of war like this." She handed a bowl to Kagome.

I smiled, swallowing a bite of stew. "We understand. Besides, we're as strange as strangers get, so…"

Kaede nodded. Her eyes flicked between us again. "The two of ye are related, are ye not?"

"Mm-hm! We're twins." Kagome answered.

"Twins…" The woman's stare had begun to bother me, so I turned back to my food. It was actually really good. I shoveled it into my mouth, forgetting manners for a minute. Just then, a loud bang reverberated through my body. I choked.

"What was that?!" All three of us shot up and rushed to the door. Well, doorway with a screen- Agh, not important!

Sounds of panic reached my ears as we stepped into the cold night air. There was another clatter and a massive cloud of dust sprung into the air. From it burst a great green and red insectoid body. It was the oumukade. A horse dangled from her mouth and she dropped it in front of us. If the poor animal wasn't already dead, the fall ensured it was now.

Kagome and I both inched behind Kaede. Maybe it was wrong to use a little old lady as a meat shield, but I didn't really care.

"It's that thing from before."

"No shiz, Sherlock!" I snapped at Kagome. Like it wasn't obvious! She sent me a 'no-need-to-bite-my-head-off' look.

The oumukade cackled. "Give me your sacred jewel!" It shot toward us and we scattered.

Kaede turned to us, her eyes wide but her voice serious. "Which of ye has it?"

"What jewel?!"

"I think they mean the Shikon no Tama!"

"Exactly! Do ye have it?"

"No!" We shouted simultaneously. Kaede shook her head, deciding to focus on the task at hand.

"We must lure Mistress Centipede to the dry well."

I was surprised that ugly bug had such a name. "That thing has a name?!"

"Which way is the well?"

"That way, in the Forest of Inuyasha, but-" I looked in the direction she was pointing. I gasped. A semblance of the aurora borealis hung above the treetops. Kagome took off at a slow run.

"What are you doing?!"

"Don't worry, Azami! I'm gonna lead it away from here!"

"But-" I started after her, but Kaede grabbed my arm. "Let go of me!"

The woman just held tighter. "Calm yourself. We will reach her before she can come to any harm."

I tried to slow my breathing, but the tension wouldn't fade. The villagers gathered their weapons, and I waited anxiously. Kaede was right. I needed to wait for them. I wasn't any use if I followed without help. Just more food for Mistress Centipede. I watched clumps of dirt fly in the air on the nearby hill.

_Somebody… Anybody…_ They men around me mounted. One held his hand out to help me onto his horse. I took it. _Save my sister!_

The horses halted in their tracks. For a split second, the air was filled with unimaginable pressure. The pressure of a sacred seal being lessened.

* * *

**Okay, I swear Inuyasha's gonna be in the next one! And if anyone has any ideas on things they'd like to see happen, I'd love to hear it. Anything to keep from complete copying. PLEASE REVIEW. **

**Good day to you all~!**


	3. An Improper Thank You

**Hooray for the third chapter! ...I don't like IVs. I had the wonderful experience of going to the emergency room. I had symptoms of appendicitis, so we got me checked out. I didn't, it was something else. But they stuck needles in my arm TT^TT **

**OH(hydroxide!)! I should add a Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the related characters. I only own Azami.**

* * *

**Chapter Three; An Improper Thank You**

(-Azami-)

The forest was a pain to travel on horseback. The lower branches scraped at my face, even though I was using the rider as a shield. I had lost sight of Kagome several minutes before. But still, our path brought us both to the sacred tree. I gasped.

Kagome was yelling at the guy pinned to the tree. The one that should have been dead. I rolled my eyes at myself. _Giant centipede lady is trying to eat us and the dead guy talking surprises me?_

"Kagome!" I called, dismounting.

"Azami-"

"She's here," the boy said, and a second later the oumukade burst into the clearing. Arrows and spears dug into Mistress Centipede's side. Taking advantage of her distraction, I rushed over to Kagome's side.

"Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine."

Tree-boy scoffed, "Waiting for other people to save you, Kikyou? That's pretty pathetic."

"Ugh! I'm not this Kikyou person! I'm Kagome!" She stomped her foot for emphasis.

"But you gotta be her! Otherwise-" He finally seemed to notice me. Just like Kaede, he stared at the two of us. His eyes were gold. _Gold. _"T-Two… You aren't… Neither of you are her!"

I opened my mouth to make a smart remark, but was interrupted by Mistress Centipede. "For the last time, give me the Shikon no tama!" She lunged at Kagome, fangs outstretched. I pulled her to the ground. Bug-lady did a three-sixty. As it inched nearer, Kagome flung her hand out.

The clearing was bathed in a bright purple light, just like the one from the well. Everyone in the clearing gasped, not including tree guy. The creature's arms dropped to the ground and she shrieked in pain. There was a pale light pulsating from Kagome's side.

The oumukade noticed it, too. Fast as lightning, the creature threw Kagome into the air. Blood sprayed from her side and the light left with it. The centipede flung Kagome into me, the jewel landing in front of us. Not a moment later, the bug had us pinned to the tree, directly on top of the boy in red. I couldn't see behind me, but the caw of triumph told me the bug ate the jewel.

"Do you think you can pull this arrow out?" The boy said calmly. He was speaking to Kagome. Not that it was surprising; she was the one who kept showing freaky powers.

Her oh-so-intelligent response: "Huh?"

"Look, can you pull it out or not?!" Kagome stared at the arrow shaft, reaching out tentatively.

"Nay, child!" Kaede hollered, "If you release him, he will be free to destroy us!"

"You've got a better chance with me than that thing! And do either of you feel like dying today?" Kagome and I exchanged a glance. _Sounds like we're screwed either way. _She grabbed the arrow and pulled. The boy grunted in pain. Nothing happened.

The centipede's hold on us tightened, forcing the air from my lungs. I couldn't get enough air to say anything, so I tapped Kagome's shoulder. I pointed to the arrow, then myself and wrapped my fingers securely around it. I pulled just the tiniest bit, and suddenly the arrow was gone. As was everything that kept the boy under control.

A pressure like the one I had felt before was released, only this time it was twice as strong. The boy began laughing hysterically. The look on his face was feral and fear trickled into my being. Was he really any better than the crazy bug woman?

His claws sliced through the armored flesh like it was butter. The entire thing was in pieces before one could say 'supercalifragilisticexpialid ocious'. Kagome and I ran right to Kaede. She seemed to have a better idea of what was going on.

"Who is that guy?" I questioned.

"His name is Inuyasha."

A leg of the oumukade twitched next to Kagome and she squealed, "It's still moving!"

"Quickly, find the glowing flesh, or she will regenerate!" Kagome looked all around, looking more and more nervous as she went. I began to look, too. _There! _

Kagome was still searching frantically, "I-I can't see it!"

"It came out of you and you can't see it?! It's right here!" I walked over and grabbed it, trying to ignore the squishing. _Ew, ew, ew, ew!_ I held it up for them to see. It should've ended there. Dead centipede, recovered jewel. All good. Right?

Claws swiped over my head. The universe had other plans, apparently. A few men shot arrows at Inuyasha, but he broke them all in one swipe. He smiled confidently. I reacted in the most logical way I could. I ran. Weaving around trees and ducking under braches, I tried to slow Inuyasha down. But he just broke right through them, coming closer and closer. I ducked behind a tree grabbing a large fallen branch. As he rounded the tree, I swung the branch at his middle. Miraculously, I actually hit him. I took off at high speed once again.

Out of nowhere, little lights began arranging themselves around Inuyasha's neck.

"What are these?" He pulled at it.

"Say the word of subjugation!" I heard Kaede say.

"What word?" Kagome asked her.

"It doesn't matter!" She said exasperatedly as I ran back and forth across the clearing, just barely avoiding Inuyasha's glowing claws.

"Um… sit boy!" Inuyasha froze in place, staring at Kagome. He looked like he actually expected something to happen. Then he started laughing. Through it he made little comments on how stupid she was to think it would work.

I'm not sure what exactly came over me, but I stomped right up to the lethal boy. "I'm pretty sure she said SIT BOY!"

The necklace slammed him face first into the ground.

"What the hell?!" He yanked at it but it didn't budge. I let out a breath and fell to the ground. He growled and made a grab for me. "What did you do?!"

"Sit." I said calmly. My energy was gone. Walking to school and running for your life were two _very_ different activities. After a few rounds of him standing and me ordering him to sit, he gave up. Kaede and Kagome helped me to my feet. Kagome and I helped each other walk all the way back to the village. Inuyasha followed grudgingly just a few yards behind.

It was when we reached Kaede's home that exhaustion finally took hold of us both.

* * *

**What do you think? Was it too much like the original? Good? Bad? Review and tell me! I'm open to any ideas you might have, and I'd love to hear them!**


	4. Badgers on Steroids

**I figured out how to break the jewel~~! I'm gonna let you read it and tell me if it's too weird. I really enjoyed writing this though, so…**

**Enjoy~!**

**Also, if anyone has any unique ideas on how to have Inuyasha get Tessaiga, I would greatly appreciate it! I've got a few ideas, but nothing solid.**

* * *

**Chapter Four; Badgers on Steroids**

(-Azami-)

The first thing I noticed the next morning were two hushed voices whispering. Then came the light on my eyelids and there was no going back to sleep after that. I forced myself to a sitting position. Kaede was redressing Kagome's stomach wound, talking about the restoration of the wrecked houses. Not five feet away from me sat Inuyasha. I shot to my feet, a 'sit' on my tongue.

Kaede smiled at me. "Do not worry. With the beads of subjugation around his neck, Inuyasha's threat is greatly diminished."

"Wonderful." I muttered, not reassured. I sat back down next to my sister. To be honest, I was surprised he didn't murder me in my sleep. As far as I could tell, sit only worked when I said it.

"Why would he even want the jewel? Isn't he powerful enough without it?" Kagome speculated.

Kaede stood, beginning basic housework around us. "Inuyasha is only _half_ demon. I-"

_Slam!_

Inuyasha's fist shattered the floorboards. "I don't wanna hear some ugly ol' hag talk like she knows me!"

"That's no reason to break things." I pointed out.

"Mind your own business."

"I'm staying here until Kagome and I can go home. Therefore damage to this house _is_ my business."

"Why you-"

"Sit." Cue faceplant. "Now let Kaede finish."

Kaede sighed. "As I was saying, I am Kikyo's younger sister, Kaede."

"You're the brat?"

"Fifty years have passed, and I have grown old." _He was stuck there for fifty years?_ I sent a sideways glance at him, then looked at Kagome. The look in her eyes told her she was thinking the same.

"Man, if you look like this, I'd hate to see Kikyo. Sure glad I don't gotta worry about bein' old just yet."

"Kikyo didn't worry either. She died the same day she sealed ye to the tree."

Inuyasha paused for just a moment. "Hmpf. One less thing I have to deal with."

"Don't relax just yet, Inuyasha. Azami here is the reincarnation of my long dead sister."

I choked on my own saliva. "I'm what of the who now?"

"Ye are Kikyo reborn. I did not suspect it until ye told me ye were twins. Though both of ye look very much like her, Kagome was unable to lift the seal. The seal could only be removed if the one who placed it willed it so. If only Kikyo and Azami share a soul, then it is understandable that Kagome could not remove the arrow."

"Then why was the jewel in me?" Kagome asked for both of us.

"That I cannot explain." She shook her head and rummaged in the folds of her shirt. She dropped the Shikon no Tama in my hands. It was now attached to a necklace. "But the jewel is your responsibility now."

I ran a finger along the smooth lilac surface. A dangerous cocktail of emotions rose in my throat. I swallowed.

I stood abruptly.

"I need some air." Without another word, I stormed from the hut.

* * *

(-Kagome-)

Kagome watched her sister practically run from the hut. She went to follow, but Kaede stopped her.

"Ye must let her process this."

She began to protest, but decided to remain silent. Azami was unpredictable when it came to comfort; sometimes she needed it, and other times it was asking to have your head removed. But whether or not she was some reincarnated miko or not, Azami was her sister, nothing more, nothing less. Still, maybe she should leave her alone.

But after several minutes of waiting, Kagome began to worry. Normally Azami came back after a minute or two, but it was going on five whole minutes now. She stood up, brushing some dirt from her skirt.

"I'm going to go look for Azami." She announced before heading out. She wandered around, listening for any sign of Azami. There was a good chance she was ranting aloud. She had a tendency of doing that.

"_Kagome…"_ Kagome turned to face the forest. Was that Azami? She headed to the edge of the forest, peaking into the darkened area.

"Azami, are you there?"

A few bushes rustled. A creature snuffled its way out of the bushes. Kagome slumped. That definitely wasn't Azami. It was a badger, of all things. _Wait…_ She looked closer at the badger's fur. The badger was made of stone.

It turned to her. Its lips pulled in a hungry smile and its eyes glowed blood red. Kagome didn't even have time to scream.

* * *

(-Azami-)

"How dare she?! My sister and I are pulled into the past and almost killed, and she has the nerve to dump this monster magnet on me?! The fact that I'm some reborn priestess?!" I stomped along the land strips in between paddy fields*. I tried wearing the Shikon no Tama, but it kept bumping against my stinger pendant so I put it in my uber-short skirt's pocket. Mostly to resist chucking it into the water.

The gossip of some nearby villagers reached my ears. Even they were going on about this Kikyo chick. Everywhere I went, there was some person forcing food upon me. I tried to give it back, but that offended them. Eventually, I just gave up on finding a private place to mope and retreated to Kaede's. But to my surprise, neither Kagome nor Inuyasha were there.

"Where's Kagome?"

"She went after ye. Did she not find ye?"

"No."

"This is troubling indeed." She stood. "I will tell people to search for her. She may have gotten lost."

Men and women began scouring the village for signs of Kagome. Inuyasha was still nowhere to be seen. _I swear, if he did something to her…_ The more time passed, the more impatient I got. I began looking closer and closer to the forest. I was several yards in when the sound of leaves crackling made me jump. I whirled around to find myself face to face with…

Inuyasha.

"What're you doin' out here?" He frowned.

"None of your business." I turned back around, walking away from the hanyou. I had a twin to find.

"Go back to the village! You could lose the jewel out here!"

"That would be fantastic." I muttered. It's not like I wanted it. I stopped as an idea hit me. "Can you track people by their scent?"

He huffed. It wasn't a dumb question, but he sure acted like it was. "Of course I can."

"Terrific. You're gonna help me find Kagome."

"Nothin' doin'!"**

"Look," my voice went hard. I pointed a finger at his chest. "You are going to help me find my sister or I'm going to s-i-t you into next Tuesday, clear?"

"Not gonna happen!"

"Sit!" He fell to the ground. "How about now?"

He growled, "_Fine."_ His nose twitched as he sniffed the ground. With his nose moving like that, he seemed more like a bunny demon than a dog demon. It took him less than a minute to pick up Kagome's scent.

He grabbed my wrist, dragging me along. He was considerably faster than I was, and I was pretty sure he was going to rip my arm from its socket.

"Inuyasha, slow down!"

"You want to find your sister, don't you?"

"Yes, but I'd like to be in one piece when I get there!"

He gave an exasperated sigh, releasing my wrist and plopping down in front of me. "Get on."

"…Eh?" He wanted me to ride on his back? Wasn't that a little weird? …Oh wait, Feudal Era full of demons. Duh.

"Just get on already! You'd like your sister to be in one piece, too, right?"

I climbed on, situating myself so I wouldn't fall. He took off. Riding on his back was akin to flying. I admit to zoning out as the steady up and down motion distracted me. Until my logical mind came back. Since I couldn't look him in the eye, I watched his ears. They twitched occasionally.

"Are you saying she won't be?"

"I'm sayin' that she's not in the nicest company."

* * *

(-Kagome-)

_How in the world did I get into this mess?_ Kagome whined in her head. She didn't dare complain aloud. After all, she was surrounded by a dozen rock-furred badgers.

After they had dragged her into the forest, they formed a circle around her and just fell asleep. Or maybe not, considering if she moved more than an inch one would growl at her. So she thought it wise to stay put.

Someone would come looking for her. Someone would save her, she just knew it. She wasn't wrong either, for at that moment, two people burst over the treetops. Kagome blinked in surprise. It was Azami… and Inuyasha.

Even more shocking, they appeared to be getting along.

"Quit pinching me, stupid!"

"Name calling isn't nice, you jerk!"

"Hypocrite!"

She spoke too soon.

They leaped over the badgers' heads, landing right next to Kagome. Inuyasha dropped Azami to the ground.

"The old hag must be delusional! You are not Kikyou!"

"No, I'm not!" She glared at him, but was glomped by Kagome before she could say anything more. She rolled her eyes with a smile. Kagome had always been the clingy one. Not that Azami didn't have her moments.

"Aren't you two forgetting something?" Inuyasha pointed to the now fully conscious demons. They faced them, fur standing on end.

Azami turned to him. "Um, yeah, do you think you could take care of that for us?"

"Ha! If you die, there's nothing stopping me from getting the jewel!"

Kagome gaped, "Why you-!"

"And what if one of them gets it first?" Azami raised an eyebrow.

It was like her words set something off in the badger demons. They surged in from all sides, scratching, tearing, biting. Azami cried out as one dug its claws into her thigh, tearing her skirt. Inuyasha slashed at it, grunting with the force it took to decapitate it. Kagome had managed to untangle herself from the fray uninjured and pulled Azami out with her.

Azami held the remainder of her skirt against the cuts. "Gotta stop the bleeding... M-Man, being hurt hurts… How're you doing with your stomach, by the way?"

"This isn't really the time for that!"

Inuyasha was preoccupied with a single demon. But all the others appeared to have turned on each other. It was a writhing mass of creature shaped boulders. One would reach the top to be pulled down by another.

There was a massive crunch and a rainbow of colors exploded around them. Something flew past Kagome's ear with more velocity than a bullet. As quickly as it had happened, the iridescence was gone. And the demons lied in scattered pieces.

"I don't like the looks of that." Inuyasha commented.

Kagome spotted something lying on the ground. "Ah… I hope that's not what I think that is…"

"…Oh, crap." Azami breathed as she bent over to pick it up. "I-It's a shard of the Shikon no Tama."

"W-_**WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!"**_

* * *

**There, capital letters, bolded, **_**and**_** in italics! Because that is how Inuyasha would say it.**

**Yeah, I had no idea how to break it, so I kept asking people. My sister said to smash it with a rock. One of my friends (AkaiyukiDaten-shi, this is free advertising!) suggested badgers. I told them both they were unhelpful. And then it hit me: ROCK BADGERS! Muahaha! *cough**cough* **

…**Yeah, I don't get me either. **

***I pretty sure those bits of water around Kaede's village are paddy fields, which you grow rice in. If I'm wrong, tell me and I'll fix this. We all know that internet research can be incorrect.**

****Nothing doing is another way of saying 'no way'. Inuyasha says it a lot in the first few episodes and I thought it fit. (And I say this because I didn't know what it meant until I looked it up. -.-")**

**Please REVIEW!**


	5. Wash, Rinse, and Repeat

**Sorry I'm late on updating. I lot of things were going on and my limited computer time had to be used for school. I have also decided that I am not fond of the legislative parts of civics. **

**Disclaimer: I do not Inuyasha or any related characters. I own Azami and a now empty box of thin mints. That is all.**

**Chapter 5; Wash, Rinse, and Repeat**

(-Azami-)

"Ungh…" I winced as I pulled the ballooned red pants over my leg. Since my skirt had been rendered a useless lump of cloth, I was forced to wear Kaede's old miko clothes.

Kaede had lead Kagome and I to a place we could bathe. Of course, that was _after_ she lectured us on working together to find the Shikon no Tama shards. I didn't have the heart to tell the lady that I didn't give a flying feather monkey.

"Are ye alright?" She asked. I nodded. I didn't dislike her, but the less interaction there was, the better. I didn't want to get attached to this time in any more ways.

I glanced at Kagome. She was swimming around, happy to be washing the grime from her skin. We really needed to get home. Gramps, Mama, and Souta were probably worried sick. Not to mention I'd gone three days without drawing anything. I _needed_ my sketch pad!

I laid down on the ground, being careful of my side. My hair sprawled out around me. I hadn't bothered to tie it back yet. Kaede was keeping an eye on Kagome, so I decided I'd watch the clouds. _At least it's pretty here. No pollution or-_ _What does he think he's doing?_ Inuyasha sat on the rock ledge above me and to the left.

"Sit."

"Aaugh!" He plunged forward, landing in the space next to me. "Was that necessary?!"

"If you're going to try to steal something, the least you can do is wait until everyone's fully clothed." I smiled and Kaede tutted in disapproval. He didn't strike me as the peeping type and the jewel was more logical.

"What makes you think that's what I was doing?!"

"What other reason would you have to be here? Well, unless you're a pervert."

"As if!"

"Then mayhap it would be wise of you to leave while Kagome dresses." Kaede responded calmly.

I stood up, cringing as I moved. What was my logic in laying down again? Inuyasha just sat and stared at me. "…What?"

He looked away with a huff. _Fine, be that way. _I handed Kagome clothes identical to what I was wearing. While she dressed, I watched Inuyasha out of the corner of my eye. I told myself that I was making sure he didn't go after the shard, but in truth he intrigued me. I wasn't sure why, though.

So I shook it off.

At that moment, a woman walked up to Kaede, a small child on her back. They exchanged a few quiet words before Kaede turned to us. "I must go back to the village. I trust ye can get along a few minutes without me?"

"Oh, yeah, we'll be fine!" Kagome assured. Kaede shook her head, fully aware that that was never going to happen. Then she left with the other woman.

I frowned. This was the perfect opportunity to go back to the well. "Kagome-"

"Which way is the well again?" Kagome answered without being asked. I directed with my head, hoping Inuyasha wouldn't suspect anything. We started toward the woods. Before we could even reach the trees, Inuyasha shot in front of us.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Home. No, you're not getting the jewel. Sit. Come on, Kagome." And just like that, we left him twitching on the ground.

We didn't know the well-treaded pathways through the forest, so we had to go through a lot more foliage than I would have preferred. We remained silent, fearing that if we made noise it would attract unpleasant inhabitants. Then, looking as ordinary as ever was the Bone-Eater's Well.

We leaned over the edge, looking down into it. At the bottom rested several rib-like bones. The bones of Mistress Centipede. I shuddered.

"We can't go in there now…"

"Yes, we can." I said. I didn't really like the idea of going down there either, but I needed to get home. She looked at me with pleading eyes. "I will push you."

Kagome swallowed. Squeezing her eyes shut, she leapt in. There was a flash of purple, and she was gone. _Huh, what do you know…_ I kneeled on the edge, about to follow when something cut my cheek. I flinched back.

Not an inch from my face was what something like fishing line. I squinted. No, it looked more like hair. I swallowed, turning. I was in the center of a massive web of hair. How hadn't I noticed it before?

"Oh my, it appears you can see my hair!" My head snapped up. Balancing on a single strand was a woman. Her dark green hair was cut in a bob and her eyes were red. She wore a sleeveless, front revealing dress that cut off mid-thigh.

"Um, yeah. W-Who are you?" _Besides bad news?_

"They call me Yura of the Demon-Hair. But you needn't remember, because I will kill you now!" She held out her hand and sharp whips bit into my skin. One reached into the folds of my shirt, taking hold of a pouch. The one that contained the jewel shard.

"H-Hey!"

She opened it, pulling out the tiny shard. "You are despicable. Look what you've done to the poor Shikon jewel! Now, where is the rest? Tell me, or I shall be cross."

I gulped ignoring her question and looking over my shoulder into the well. _Please work, please work, please work!_ I chanted in my head. I pitched myself over the edge.

I was enveloped in a blue, just like the last time. Before I knew it, I was sitting at the bottom, looking up at an actual roof. And the face of a very shocked younger brother.

"I'm telling you, Gramps, Azami was right behind me!" Kagome exclaimed. I shot to my feet and immediately began climbing the side. The instant I was out of the well, I latched onto Souta. Though he protested, I just clung tighter.

"You have no idea how much I missed you guys!"

(-Inuyasha-)

_That stupid woman! _She just had to leave right then, didn't she?! Inuyasha thought furiously as he ran through the forest. Now the old hag was hurt, and that girl was the only one who could see the damn hair!

He landed on all fours, sifting through the scents of the forest. Through the odor of plants and wild animals, two human scents were already fading. He had originally mistaken the idiot's twin as _her_, but he now realized that it was actually the idiot's lingering odor. Two people who looked so much like her…

Inuyasha shook his head. Unnerving as it was, he needed to forget about it. She had betrayed him. He needed to forget about everything they had. He needed to forget about her altogether. No, what he needed was the full Shikon no Tama to become full demon.

He had better get back to tracking Tweedledum and Tweedledumber.*

(-Azami-)

A large smile had stuck itself on my face, not budging once. In fact, it only got wider as my pencil ran over the page. I wasn't really paying attention to what it was, I just let my hand guide itself. Kagome was laying on her bed, staring at the ceiling. We had separate rooms and tended to switch off which we used when just hanging out.

She shifted, resting her head on her hand. "Are you alright now?"

"What do you mean?"

"You were acting really apathetic."

"Oh." My pencil stopped for a moment. "Well, psychologists might disagree, but detaching your emotions works wonders when you're about to go insane."

"…I think I should be worried."

I laughed. "Nah, I'm good now."

"Kagome! Azami!" Mama called. "It's dinnertime!"

"Coming!" We shouted simultaneously.

I raced her down the stairs and to the table. It wasn't until someone mentioned food that I realized how hungry I was.

I sat down at the table. Kagome began stuffing her face next to me. In between bites, I told the family the story. I wasn't sure if they believed me, but I could sure weave a story. "And he would faceplant every time I said the word sit."

_SLAM._

Kagome and I exchanged a glance. That couldn't be a good sign. The door behind us rattled as it was thrown open and I looked up into the fiery golden eyes of a very unhappy half-demon.

"What the hell was that for?! Tch, nevermind!" He grabbed my arm and yanked me to my feet. "Come on, we're leaving!"

"Uh, no, we are not!" I braced myself on the doorframe.

"Now you stay right there!" Mama stomped over. She reached up and took a hold of Inuyasha's ears. I sighed. My mother, folks. "Are they real?"

As Mama and Souta fawned over Inuyasha's ears (which pissed him off, to my great pleasure), I was more interested in why he had come. It was probably just to get my shard, but then why would he want me to go back?

Inuyasha's grip on my arm loosened and I pulled away. I darted behind Kagome.

"I am not going back down that accursed well-" I cut off as I noticed several strands of black on Inuyasha's clothes. It was the same as the kind that Yura woman was using! "You brought it back with you?!"

"Huh?"

I pulled at a strand. "It's all over you!"

Kagome looked at me like I was losing my mind. It actually kinda hurt. "What are you talking about?"

"Before I- crazy hair lady- and he- ugh!" My head was all cluttered. I'd heard unusual amounts of stress messed people up, but this was ridiculous! I took a deep breath and headed straight for the well house, ignoring the confusion from my family.

Spreading from the opening in a flowing mass of black was hair. I swallowed hard. _That idiot!_

"So you really can see it?" Inuyasha leaned on the wall behind me.

"Yeah."

The hair bunched itself up, then launched itself at the open door. I slammed it shut.

"Azami!" Kagome shouted from outside. My stomach dropped. I'd left Kagome outside! But the door was already closed; I couldn't open it and risk the hair getting out.

More hair slithered out from the well, aiming itself at Inuyasha. He slashed away at it, but it still managed to wrap itself around his wrists. He didn't do well at fighting blindly.

"No, over- not- Inuyasha, listen to me! Cut _here!"_ I directed to a lone strand of hair. The rest of it branched out into the mess that had filled the house._ I think that takes split ends to an extreme.._. His hand swept around several times before snapping the hair.

I sighed with relief as it pulled itself back through the well. _But if she already has my shard, she's got to be after Inuyasha and I…_ _Aw, man._ I glanced back at the door, then the well again, and finally Inuyasha.

"Alright, let's go after her."

"I thought you didn't want to go down this 'accursed well'." I frowned as he threw my words back at me.

"She's just gonna keep coming 'til she gets what she wants. And nobody messes with my family." I stared into the depths of the well. Something was draped over my head. Red… Inuyasha's kimono? I looked over at him.

He didn't look at me. "It's made from fur of the fire rat. It'll give you some protection at least."

"Um, thanks."

And with that, we jumped back through time.

**And scene! I was going to continue, then decided I was going to cut it off here.**

***I am fully aware that Inuyasha wouldn't know about Tweedledum because he's in Feudal Japan, but 'dumb and dumber' just didn't sound as good. So fudge time, it's mean to me anyway.**


	6. Reality of a Nightmare

**And we have reached chapter six! …I just realized this fic is probably going to be pretty long, because what I'm trying to do is write it like I'm not assuming you already know these people. I can't promise the updates will be even close to regular, because time, life, and my brain are all conspiring against me.**

* * *

**Chapter Six; Reality of A Nightmare**

* * *

(-Azami-)

The hair was everywhere, even inside the well. As we climbed out, we discovered single strands broke when Inuyasha pushed through them, but thicker parts needed to be cut. The pale moonlight reflected off the strands, making my job easier. Using the same principle as the other hair, I searched for the one that stood out.

I pointed at the main hair, "That way."

Inuyasha walked ahead of me, ignoring everything but my directions. The path along the main hair led us to a small camp. At the center was a still blazing fire which sent a warm glow into the trees around it. Shadows flickered on the tent's fabric. And across the light armor of headless men.

A wave of nausea forced me to lean against a tree.

"Don't tell me your _scared._" Inuyasha sneered. My head shot up, my eyes hard as the sapphires they resembled.

"You shut up!" He blinked. "I live in a world where being in the presence of dead people is not normal! Cut me some slack!"

"Hmpf." He turned away, nose slightly upturned. I resisted the urge to wring the air and pretend it was his neck. That insensitive little…

I made to move, but tripped over something. I stood up, and found it was a bow and a quiver of arrows. I had taken a few archery lessons before. Nothing extensive, just something to kill time. Without knowing what we would face with Yura…

I reached down and picked them up, putting the quiver on my back. I didn't like the feel, but there was nothing I could do about it right then. Inuyasha glanced back at me and his mouth twitched downward.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"I thought it better to be safe than sorry."

Inuyasha muttered something inaudible under his breath, and directed for me to climb on his back. I didn't object because the hair was getting closer and closer together as we went, and I didn't fancy being minced. Snakes of hair waved in the air, glinting like metal. It was too much to ask that they didn't notice us.

"Left! You're _other_ left! Right! Behind!"

"Would you pick one?!"

"There are too many! Duck!" I shouted, though it was futile. Two came at us at the same time. While he ducked under one, the other swept underneath his feet. It tangled around his fists, lifting him high into the air and throwing me to the ground.

Yura swung down from a giant hairball floating just a ways away. _How did I miss that?_, I wondered. She smiled, and if she hadn't had razor sharp hair weaving around her, she would've looked sweet.

"I love your hair." She ran a hand through Inuyasha's silvery bangs. "It will be mine once you are dead." She plunged her sword into his shoulder. She pulled it back out and blood began to soak into his white shirt. I cringed.

As he dug his own claws into the wound, he shouted, "Blades of blood!"

"Now, now, that's no fair!" Yura yelped as her sword hand was cut from her body. She wiggled her other hand and the sword swept across Inuyasha's chest. He gave grunt of pain.

I had to do something. Sitting here watching wasn't going to do anything. I reached behind me, grabbing the feathered end of an arrow with two fingers. I placed the arrow on the bow. I pulled back and aimed at Yura, my arms shaking with the effort.

The arrow zoomed forward, just barely missing Inuyasha. It flew past Yura and directly into the giant hairball. Purple light spread from the arrow and the entire thing fell apart. Skulls slid out, littering the ground.

"Watch it, stupid!"

I loaded another arrow, "Azami!" I corrected, letting it go. A huge hole was blown through it.

"My hair! You're damaging it!" Using a tiny red comb, she flung a massive wave of hair at me. I squeezed my eyes shut, shooting another arrow. A light blazed in front of my eyelids.

"Stop drawing attention to yourself!" Inuyasha shouted. I snapped my eyes open in time to see Yura's sword heading straight at me. I instinctively raised my arms to guard my face. Not that that would do much to stop a sword.

_Clink_.

_Clink, clink._

…I wasn't dead?

_Clink, clink, clink._

Huh.

I could feel something pushing on my arms, but it never pierced me. After a moment, I came to the only logical explanation my muddled mind could think of. Inuyasha's kimono.

"Iron reaver soul stealer!" Yellow claws slashed in front of me. I dropped my arms, eyes meeting Inuyasha's back. I peeked over his shoulder.

The amount of hair in the clearing was considerably less than when we had arrived. Yura was shaking, her eyes burning with anger. She flung her arm out, and all of it rushed straight toward us. "Just die already!"

"It's coming straight at us!" I squeaked.

"Blades of blood!" Inuyasha's scarlet claws split the wave in half. He charged at Yura, piercing through her chest and grabbing the jewel shard. She gasped before giving Inuyasha yet another stab wound. She snatched the little pouch back.

"Well, I never!"

I growled in frustration. Was she never going to die? _Wait. In books, when a villain can't be killed-_

"Inuyasha, we have to find her weak spot! She wouldn't have it on her, but it has to be around here somewhere!"

"I'm a little busy!" He punctuated that fact by sending another wave of hardened blood at Yura.

I scanned the ground for anything out of place. My eyes fell on a bright red skull. Upon closer inspection, the strands of hair were coming from it.

I ran over to it and pulled my last arrow. I raised it high above my head, then brought it down with all my might. A large crack spread across the skull's surface. I repeated the action, ignoring the sounds around me. Finally, the arrow broke through with a harsh snap.

Something clattered to the ground behind me. I turned to see Yura's sword sitting there. I swallowed. A few more seconds and I would've lost my head, same as the men in the forest.

My entire body trembled as reality crashed down on me. If a demon could be like this and only have one miniscule fragment… I really would need to find them. Everything that I shoved down since I fell through the well, good and bad, forced itself to the surface. The confusion, the excitement, the adventure, the worry. The fear.

My eyes prickled and I blinked back a few hot tears.

"H-Hey, are you crying?"

"I'm sweating from my eyes." I denied, wiping my face. I stood and retrieved the jewel shard. It really was tiny.

Which meant that this was only the beginning.

* * *

**I was going to keep going, but now I think it can be left at this. So tired…**


	7. One Divided

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Wish I did. I don't. I own Azami. That's good. Getting on with the story. I was going to say something funny, but I'm too tired.**

**Also, bit of trivia, this chapter's name was the original name for this story. I like 'Until' better.**

**Chapter Seven; One Divided**

(-Kagome-)

"Azami!" Kagome shouted as the well house door slammed shut. There was a harsh finality about the sound, and it made a lump rise in the teen's throat. How could she shut her out? Even if she couldn't see whatever it was that Azami was seeing, she still needed her help! …Right?

A few murmured voices were audible just after the repetitive banging from the inside the hut stopped. Kagome rushed to the door, swinging open without a moment's hesitation. She searched the hut for any sign of her twin.

Empty.

Her family's voices fell into the background as she stepped closer to the well. She rested a hand on its wooden frame, staring into the darkened passage. Azami had left without her. She didn't come to get her after she dealt with whatever was going on. Maybe she had been forced through, like with Mistress Centipede!

But she had Inuyasha with her.

Did that mean she left knowing full well she was leaving Kagome behind? Did Azami no longer need her twin to have her back?

A hand rested on her shoulder, making her jump. Kagome looked up into the warm brown eyes of her mother.

"I'm sure she'll be fine. Let's go back inside."

Kagome nodded. If Azami didn't need her, then she didn't need Azami either! She could go play superhero all she wanted!

But if that was true, why did she still feel abandoned?

(-Azami-)

Both Kaede and I winced as I tightened the knot on her bandage. I had to admit, it was pretty clever of Inuyasha to bury her. It was definitely a surprise to me- I had pegged him as a total idiot. I guess I should be thankful that he isn't, seeing as I was going to be spending quite a bit of time with him, what with the jewel hunt and all.

I dropped my hands into my lap and watched them as Kaede dressed. I decided to stay. After what I saw with Yura, I fully realized what these shards could do, and on top of that, Yura could hardly be the most powerful demon out there. But there was one thing that bothered me, though for some reason, I don't think it was quite as much as it should have.

I raised my eyes to look at the old woman sitting across the fire from me. "Kagome doesn't belong in this time, does she." It wasn't a question, but I sure hoped Kaede would answer anyway.

"I do not think so." I must've shown visible disappointment, because she sent me a pitying smile. "Ye did not wish to hear that, but ye and I both know it is true."

I sighed and nodded. "Doesn't mean I wasn't hoping for a different answer. Hey, does that mean I'm going to start showing more freaky powers? I mean, my arrow glowed purple and obliterated Yura's hairball."

"Kikyou was a very powerful miko. Some might even say she was too powerful. As ye share her soul, I would not be surprised if you had some of her other abilities as well. Such as her skills with medicines."

"…Yeah. Reincarnation-y goodness. I'm going to sleep." I announced before curling up in my bedroll. There was something about all this reincarnation business that really bothered me. I was Azami, and talking like I was someone else made me feel… I don't know, less than myself. I squeezed my eyes shut, making it as dark as possible in my mind. And then I used a skill I had learned when I was still sharing a room with Kagome. I forced myself to sleep.

When I woke the next morning, it was still dark outside. Kaede was sleeping peacefully, so I shuffled from the hut quietly as possible. The pale yellow haze of a not yet visible sun tinted the far horizon. The aurora over the Forest of Inuyasha was still there, yet it was considerably dimmed. It was possible that it was only because of the gradually lightening sky, but something told me that Kikyou's seal had contributed to the strength of the colors.

Speaking of Inuyasha, he was sleeping on the roof of Kaede's hut. I assumed it was him, anyways, as I could only see the top of his head. But how many other silver-haired dog demons could there be? I mean, really. He was probably going to try to stop me, but I would deal with him later. I was a girl on a mission after all.

I had a family to abandon, and only my uncharacteristic gung-ho attitude about it was keeping me from deteriorating into a pile of mushy goo. It wasn't like I could move them all to the feudal era while I was searching for miniscule gem shards. Actually, that wasn't such a bad idea… Agh, what was I thinking? They'd all be doomed in a time of swords and arrows and demons. Heck, I wasn't sure if I was going to survive all this.

_Okay, Azami, let's _not_ go there, _I scolded myself as I sat down on the edge of the well. I paused, looking around signs of hanyous or hair-demons. When no evidence of either showed, I slid into the azure expanse. As I glided through it, I took my sweet time, spinning around slowly and making flips. Some would call it stalling, but I called it 'waiting for the opportune moment'.

When my feet touched solidity, I happened to be in the middle of a flip, so as the world materialized around me I found myself landing on my butt. I cursed once under my breath. I caught sight of a the rope ladder along one side. Mama probably put it there, seeing as Gramps and Souta weren't really the types to think about getting out of magical wormholes.

I went straight up to the door, pausing a moment before walking in. It was dark in the house, as the curtains were drawn. Everyone was probably still asleep. _Wonderful timing to say goodbye, genius._ I let out a sigh, walking up the stairs to my room. Kagome's was next to mine, and when it came to room situations, I got the better deal. My room was on the end, located on the corner of the house. This meant I got two windows where Kagome only had one, and it was slightly larger.

I paused at Kagome's door, debating whether or not to wake her. _Maybe later, _I decided, and went into my room instead. The color theme was dark blues and light greens, similar to my eyes in retrospect. My comforter had a giant blue orchid design on it, traced in electric green. The walls were covered in my drawings, varying from sketches to fully painted pieces. I slid open my closet, grabbing the giant camping bag that never got used, along with a smaller one. One for keeping at Kaede's, and one for keeping with me.

Before I got to packing, I changed into a long-sleeved light gray shirt and dark green pants. Then I began weeding through outfits and items until I had only what I needed. Then I added a few books to that, as well as my sketchbook. I paused when I saw what I had drawn. It was Inuyasha, sketched from a low angle, making him seem to be towering above the viewer. Between his thumb and index finger he held the Shikon no Tama. It didn't look like my hand had taken the time to bother with his face, as the only feature it had was a nose. _Creepy, _I thought as I shoved it into the smaller of the two bags.

Just when I was sure I had everything, there was a light gasp before I was pulled into a tight hug. It took several moments for my confuddled mind to realize it was Mama, and when I did, I hugged her right back.

"Thank God you're okay…" she whispered, stroking my hair. Normally I would've shrugged her off by now, but I owed her since I ran off without warning.

"Yeah, I'm okay." I pulled back. "Mom…"

"What are all these bags for?" she spoke breathlessly, showing that she had already figured it out. "You can't be going back."

I just nodded, guilt weighing down on me like an anvil. She sat down on my bed, looking a little winded. I shoved my hands in my pockets to hide my rapidly moving fingertips. "If demons get their hands on those shards, they're gonna be even worse than Yura. She was the reason I totally wigged out, see, she was after me or Inuyasha, probably Inuyasha, because he has really nice hair- Ack, anyway, only people with spiritual powers can see the hair and track the Shikon no Tama fragments, so…" I trailed off.

"According to the legend of the Shikon no Tama, a young miko along with her companions collected all the fragments scattered across Japan." Gramps walked into my room without warning, startling me. "I wouldn't be surprised if that was you, Azami."

"Really? Because _I_ find that pretty surprising." I pulled my hands up and crossed my arms. Mama looked up at Gramps, absent-mindedly wringing her hands. Gramps let out a sigh.

"Where's your gumption? If you believe you can do it, then you can!" He made a Superman pose.

Mama stood, suddenly straighter and smiling. She rested a hand on my shoulder. "Azami, if this is what you really need to do, I won't stop you. I won't like it, but I'll support you. I love you, you know that?"

Her smile was contagious, and my face mirrored it. "I love you guys, too."

Then we had one of those sappy family hugs, only we were missing two people and it doesn't really feel sappy when you're a part of it. I gathered up my stuff. "I'm gonna go say bye to Kagome and Souta. I'm not sure when I'll be back."

Mama blinked in surprise. "Kagome isn't going with you?"

My smile faltered, and I decided to channel Kaede's words. "It's too dangerous for someone without martial or spiritual ability. I don't want to endanger her."

As I walked out my bedroom door, saying I was shocked to see my siblings would be an understatement. Downright appalled was more accurate. They were heavy sleepers, and neither got up this early in the morning voluntarily. Both were still in their pajamas, their hair sticking up every which way. Souta looked surprised and a little worried, whereas there was a harsh glint in Kagome's eyes. One that had never been directed at me before.

Kagome frowned before walking to her bedroom. "Go off on your adventure. See if I care.

_Slam._

The door shut, sends a small puff of air at those standing in front of it. Then Souta hugged my waist and looked up at me.

"You stay safe, got it?"

"Aye, sir!" I gave him a quick squeeze. As I opened the door to leave, I gave a mock salute. "I'll be back for the big terms test, if not sooner."

And then the door slid closed, and with it went all normalcy. With a heavy heart, I threw myself down the well.

**So this is mostly a transitional chapter. It's not my favorite, but it was needed. **

**The Higurashi family is like an untapped gold mine, and yes, I do plan to exploit it. **

**Remember to **_**REVIEW**_**!**

**Up next: Chapter 8; Into the Eye**


	8. Into the Eye - Part One

**Disclaimer: Unless I changed nationalities while I wasn't looking, I do not own Inuyasha.**

**Sorry it's been a while since I updated. Pardon my language, but this chapter was a bitch to write. I was having a lot of trouble getting going, and I still don't like it, but I owe ya'll an update. **

**Seriously guys, I need reviews. They keep me going, and get me off my lazy bum when I've forgotten or am stuck. You can thank guest reviewer 'O.O' for me posting this.**

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

**Into the Eye – Part One**

* * *

"This is bad…" muttered a small demon flea. It was dressed in humanesque clothing, the only difference being their diminutive size. It stood on two of its six legs, the other four acting like arms. Its head was round, with large eyes and a nose/mouth that resembled a carrot.

And what was it that was bad? Probably the silver haired daiyoukai tearing apart the guardian wolves of the Inu no Taisho's tomb. The demon's face was almost expressionless, allowing the magenta stripes on his cheeks and the blue crescent moon on his forehead to be the center of attention. However, his mouth had pulled down in a barely perceptible frown and irritation glimmered in his hard golden eyes. His claws made quick work of most of wolves, though he was forced to unleash a whip of gold-yellow light at a few of the poor animals.

The flea flinched as a small green imp waddled up to the demon, carrying a staff with two faces. The first was an ugly old man, the other a 'beautiful' black haired woman. The flea thought there was nothing beautiful about the head, even less when it opened its mouth and shrieked. But beauty was in the eye of the beholder, he supposed. Then, of course, he remembered what the woman's scream meant.

"If they've made it this far, it means Lord Inuyasha is in danger…" Then the flea slumped over with a dramatic sigh. "The things I do for my masters…"

* * *

The flea bounded along through the forest, the immensity of the plants all around never once phasing him. Normal animals didn't bother him, and there was a surprising lack of demons in the area. Maybe the rumors were true. Maybe Master Inuyasha had been revived, and maybe the miko had been reincarnated.

The flea was soon to find out. As a demon, he could sense the auras of other demons, as well as spiritual humans. And the human he was sensing right then was _incredibly_ spiritual, not even including the power of the jewel shard with her. He could feel the air change as he got closer, filling with a purifying aura. He stopped to scout the area, in an attempt to see who it was. The aura was familiar...

Of course, he wasn't expecting to be stepped on by said spiritual human.

As the shoe fell onto him, he fell his vital organs and his belongings flatten. It wasn't the first time such a thing had happened, and the flea knew it wouldn't be the last.

Such was the life of a flea.

The human chose this moment to stop moving. The flea would have sighed, had he been more than two-dimensional.

"Essuse meh, buh cuh you ge' off'f me?" He managed. Not a second later, the foot moved, and the flea was greeted with the face of a teenage girl.

Then the flea remembered where he had felt the aura. In the priestess Kikyou, the one who sealed Master Inuyasha! The girl did look remarkably like her, but her eyes were different. And they were wide and openly staring at him.

"Normal really is too much to ask for," she sighed. "I'm real sorry about that. I take it you're a demon?"

The flea narrowed his eyes at the girl. She had traces of Master Inuyasha's scent. "Obviously."

"You aren't going to try to eat me or steal Shikon no Tama bits, are you?"

"No." The flea paused a moment and decided to take a chance. "I'm looking for Lord Inuyasha. Do you know where he is?"

"Erm, yeah. I'm Azami, by the way." She shifted awkwardly for a moment, moving her hand back and forth before sticking it out in front of her. The flea placed two arms on her outstretched fingers.

"Myoga. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

* * *

(-Azami-)

Four people sat around Kaede's fire, though I was still debating whether or not it was appropriate to call two of them people. The demon flea, Myoga, sat to my right, Inuyasha to my left, and Kaede sat across the fire from me. All attention was on Myoga as he explained his reasons for coming.

He hadn't even finished two sentences when Inuyasha interrupted. "Why would Sesshomaru want to find my dad's tomb?"

With the way he spat out the name, as if it left a bad taste in his mouth, it was apparent this 'Sesshomaru' wasn't the nicest person, or at the very least that Inuyasha didn't like him. Myoga looked toward the fire instead of meeting the hanyou's eyes.

"It isn't the tomb itself that Sesshomaru wants, but rather his remains, and they are no longer there."

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. "Then where are they?"

Myoga looked uncomfortable, and shifted around a moment. "Unfortunately, sire, nobody knows."

"Isn't it your job to know where those are?" I questioned, and the flea's eyes looked to the ceiling like it was the most interesting thing in the world. Inuyasha scoffed and muttered something about being a bad tomb keeper as he rested his chin on his hand.

"Inuyasha," began Kaede as she joined the conversation, "your father was the phantom beast that controlled the western lands, correct?"

"I can't say I remember too much about him."

My eyes were drawn to Inuyasha's face as he spoke. He looked bored with the topic, like he was ready to leave any minute, and his apathy toward the subject made me a little sad. My own father had died in a car accident when I was six, and even though his face had faded from my mind, my memories of playing with him were still there. The concept of not remembering him at all...

"Inu no Taisho was much more than that! He was a demon among demons, and his blood was especially tasty. You've inherited that trait from him, Lord Inuyasha."

I forced myself to look at Myoga, "Did you know his mother, too?"

"Of course, and she was a beauty! She-" There was a rustling of fabric on my left as Inuyasha stood. At first it seemed as if he was just going to leave, but instead he slammed his heel down on the older demon. Myoga wheezed as the air was forced from his lungs.

"Inuyasha!" Kaede and I both exclaimed simultaneously, though the tone we used was different. Kaede sounded shocked, while I just sounded angry. He had no right to do that! I mean, I had stepped on him too, but at least I hadn't done it on purpose!

He lifted his foot off of Myoga and headed straight for the door. His shoulders were tense and his gait stiff as he threw a look over his shoulder. There was a sad look in his eyes that was almost hidden by the angry look on his face.

"She died a long time ago, so just forget it!" With that, he pushed through the screen, leaving an awkward silence in his wake.

_That explains it,_ I thought, my irritation gone in an instant. _Myoga hit a sore topic._

Speaking of the flea, he had popped back into three-dimensional shape, rolling his shoulder with an uncomfortable look on his face. "Lord Inuyasha has always been like that when it comes to his mother."

"Aye, well, let him cool off then." Kaede muttered. She picked up a fire poker, shifting the embers around. I let out a sigh, refocusing on Myoga. Might as well do something productive while we waited.

"Hey, Myoga? Were there any clues as to where his remains might be?"

"Mm..." Myoga crossed his arms, and his eyes narrowed as they looked up, as if he hadn't thought of it before. "Well, yes. I believe it was 'seen yet never seen, protected but never known to its protector'."

I stood up as he spoke, moving to my bag and pulling my sketchpad from its depths. I bit back a swear word when I noticed the pencil had fallen out of the metal hoops. As I fished for the thing, I tilted my head in the flea's direction. "Okay... There's got to be a reason Sesshomaru wants the Inu no Taisho's remains. Is there something, I don't know, in them, around them? Are they charmed or have special properties?"

Myoga's eyes darted to the ceiling again, a tiny bead of sweat rolling down his bald head. Supplies collected, I resettled in my spot, flipping to a clean page. Myoga remained silent, and every bit of his body language screamed he knew more than he was letting on.

"If ye know, would it not be in your best interest to tell us?" Kaede's one-eyed gaze bore into him. The flea sighed with defeat, slouching over.

"Inuyasha's inheritance is hidden there. Lord Sesshomaru was never satisfied with his own inheritance."

As Myoga spoke, I turned down to my sketchbook. I had scribbled the rough outline of a skull, and above that was written the clue. I tapped my eraser on the page.

_If the inheritance was meant for Inuyasha, then it'll be somewhere he'd be able to get to. But if it was any old place, Sesshomaru would've found it. So I suppose the most important line would be the 'seen yet never seen'._

I stopped my process to tell the other two. Kaede stared into the fire thoughtfully while I drew random circles on the paper.

_It can't really be that hard, especially of Inu no Taisho wanted Inuyasha to have whatever's hidden. What's something we always see? ...No, that's too simple, we see a lot of things all the time... Wait a moment!_

"His eyes!" I exclaimed.

Kaede looked at me in confusion while Myoga's already circular eyes bugged. I ran the pencil top furiously over the once-white page.

"What do ye mean?"

"I _mean_ the way to wherever Inu no Taisho's remains are is in one of Inuyasha's eyes!" I turned the page to face her, revealing my crudely drawn Inu-eye. "We always see through our eyes, but we never see in them! And since it's Inuyasha's inheritance, him being the unknown protector makes perfect sense!"

"Yes, that would make sense..." Myoga muttered.

Kaede frowned, her eyebrows knitting together. "If Inuyasha is indeed the protector, Sesshomaru would likely see him as an obstacle, and from what ye have told us of him, that is not something ye wish to be."

The old woman's words have me an uneasy feeling and I found myself walking to the door before I even knew I stood. I pulled the screen out of the way, stopping in the doorway as I informed them, "I'm gonna go track him down."

The screen clattered back into place behind me as I stepped into the cool night air. I looked up at the sky and was disappointed to find them obscured by still rain clouds. It didn't look like it was going to rain tonight, but it would in the next couple of days for sure.

I took the same course along the paddy field that I did while I was fuming about the jewel. If I had known what was in store, I would've taken monster magnet over jewel detector. Probably, anyways.

The moon was waning, and now than half the moon was dark from the Earth's shadow. You know, I had always wondered why we call our planet 'Earth' when we have all the other planets with fancy Roman names. Why don't we just call it Terra Firma? That way or planet gets a cool name too. Not to mention poor Pluto. Not only was he screwed over in mythology, but then the planet named after him was declared too small. But they call it a_ dwarf planet!_ It's still got planet in the name right?

Oh, sorry, I got a little carried away there.

I had walked for a full two minutes before I finally found Inuyasha. I had spotted him a ways away from where he actually was, as he was sitting on one of the highest branches off a very tall tree. Had he been wearing darker clothing I might have missed him, but with his bright red outfit he stuck out like a sore thumb.

Between me and the tree ran a small creek, the only way across being a an old wooden bridge. The creek was roughly two meters wide, but I still want too keen on the bridge. I was sure that if I were to sit Inuyasha on it, he'd break right through. I tip-toed across the wood, stories that it would snap under my weight. And I didn't weigh that much, so that's saying something.

Once I had gotten past that, I walked purposefully to the base of the tree. I craned my neck to look up at the hanyou, who hadn't so much as shifted.

"Inuyasha!" I shouted up. His only response was an ear twitch. The action reminded me more of a cat than a dog, and I let out a miniature laugh. Bunny, cat, he was determined not to be a dog. "Inuyasha, we think we might've figured out how to get to your dad's remains!"

Inuyasha turned to look down at me as he responded, "Why do I care?!"

"Don't you at least want to-" My question was cut short as Inuyasha leapt from his perch and landed next to me. But he didn't stop there, and instead pulled me to the ground, on which I landed with an 'oof'. I turned to snap at him, but his golden-amber eyes were trained on the sky with such focus that I followed their path.

His gaze flickered to me for half a second before moving back. "Do you feel that?"

I raised a skeptical eyebrow at him before remembering that he had the instinct of a dog. "No, but then again I don't have super-senses."

The moment I stopped, I was hit with an overwhelming feeling of dread, just before a massive being emerged from the clouds. Its skin was earth-brown with sharp horns protruding from its head. Its glowing red eyes were filled with bloodlust, and I swallowed. On its massive shoulder stood two figures, one considerably smaller than the other.

Inuyasha gave a low growl next to me before shooting to his feet. I pushed myself up next to him, eyes locked on the three newcomers. The small one was a green little thing wrapped in dirt-brown clothes, an old stick in its hands. The other was more humanoid, clothed in black armor that was more reminiscent of China than Feudal Japan. He had hair the same color as Inuyasha's and a white boa over his right shoulder.

"Sesshomaru!"

* * *

***sigh* I'm gonna go see what I can do about the next chapter. We're gonna get to the part I like in this arc! :D**

**Also, I don't if this matters to you or not, but I added Miroku and Sango to the characters list.**


End file.
